Former CFO sues Real Brokerage, alleges discrimination

The former chief financial officer of cloud-based real estate firm The Real Brokerage has filed a federal lawsuit alleging she was pushed out of the company after becoming pregnant and taking maternity leave.

Michelle Ressler, who was relieved of her role as CFO in April, claims in the suit that Real orchestrated her termination under false pretenses and replaced her with a less qualified male employee.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

“This case involves textbook claims for gender discrimination, pregnancy discrimination and retaliation,” said Allison Van Kampen, an attorney for Ressler and a partner at Outten & Golden LLP. “It’s infuriating that, in 2025, men in leadership still seem to believe that women cannot be effective executives if they have a baby at home.”

Real did not immediately respond to HousingWire‘s request for comment.

Ressler joined Real in July 2020 as vice president of finance and was promoted to CFO three months later. According to the complaint, she was a key figure in the company’s growth, helping to drive annual revenue from $16 million to $1.3 billion over a four-year period.

The lawsuit alleges that after Ressler informed company leadership of her pregnancy, she was increasingly sidelined. She claims that business units were taken away from her, she was excluded from critical decisions, and her male subordinate was groomed to take over her role.

Ressler also alleges she was required to work during her maternity leave, in violation of the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Her leave began on Aug. 15, 2024, and ended on Jan. 21, 2025. Three months later, Real terminated her employment.

The company cited an internal audit that reportedly found she had charged personal expenses to a corporate credit card, according to Ressler’s attorneys.

Ressler disputes that claim, arguing in court documents that the charges were minor and unintentional. She also alleges that male executives who submitted personal charges or engaged in similar conduct were not disciplined.

According to the lawsuit, the audit was used to justify a predetermined decision to remove her from the role.

“This lawsuit is about the truth,” Ressler said in a statement. “As CFO, I consistently led with a commitment to sound governance, transparency, and performance — grounded in quiet, strategic leadership. In an industry where women comprise a majority of the workforce but too few of the decision-makers, we need more leaders willing to challenge outdated, discriminatory norms and lead with integrity.

“I’m coming forward not just to right Real’s wrongs against me and hold it accountable, but also to demonstrate what resilience looks like when it’s rooted in principle, precision, and results.”

Ravi Jani, who joined Real in September 2023 as vice president of investor relations and financial planning and analysis, stepped into the CFO role upon Ressler’s departure.

Ressler was named a HousingWire Finance Leader on multiple occasions, while Jani recently earned a nod as a 2025 HousingWire Rising Star.